Transporting lawn tractor in pickup.

[KatoMike]

Just wondering if anyone has transported their lawn tractor in the back of their pickup - I have transported my 12.5 hp Murray that way but I have a buddy who wants me to move his JD 150 (about 450 lbs.) in the back of my pickup and was wandering if the tailgate will hold that weight while driving it up the ramp. Thanks for any input!!

 

[jrlichina]

Shouldn't be a problem for any fullsize pickup. I never had a problem with either of my trucks in the past(Chevy or Ford). Heck that's only like having 2 guys sitting on the tailgate...

 

[KatoMike]

That's a good point, thanks. The pickup is a fullsize Dodge, but it is a 4wd so it sits up pretty high. I need to figure out how I can drive it up without sitting on it (hard to do I am sure because I am sure the engine will kill with no weight in the seat).

 

[F350Lawman]

If you're worried take the tailgate off. Mine comes off in about 20 seconds, i am sure yours is around the same? Usually you just remove the starps and then one of the gate will pull out of one of thehinges when it is lined up in certain position.

We put my 17hp Murray with deck (must weigh about the same) on fairly easily. First we removed the tailgate. we than just took wto fence posts and screwed an old sheet of plywood to it for a make shift ramp. Me and my buddy just rolled it off. Getting it on we had used two 6" x 4" fence posts that were tacked together with 2'"x 4" at wheel width, that was a little harder as you had to keep the tractor right on line. Once it was almost on I held the rear from sliding back down while my buddy climbed on the truck and got the deck over the final hump.

 

[MossRoad]

I've hauled my Power Trc PT425 and mower deck in the bed of my pickup. It weighs around 1500lbs with me on it and the mower deck is a couple hundred more. I took off the tailgate. As mentioned, it is super easy. You just let the taligate down, pull the strap towards you while you lift the tailgate, and rotate the strap until it gets to the slots where the end of the strap will lift off of the pin that holds it. Let the tailgate back down and repeat for the other side. On the chevy, you then lift the tailgate to almost the closed position and the left side can then be lifted off the hing pin and then pull the left side of the tailgate towards you. After it comes towards you a couple of inches, you slide the whole thing to the left and off it comes. It really does only take about 20 seconds. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I bought some heavy duty ramps from Power Trac for my PT425, but for my lawn tractor, I bought a kit at harbor freight that has aluminum brackets that you bolt onto 2X10's or 12's. They are angled and lay flat on the bed. Then you drill some small holes in the bed and drop retainer pins through the brackets into the holes in the bed so the ramps won't slip off the bed(good safety idea). The bracket kit was under $20.00. I also never drove my lawntractor up the wooden ramps, as they are slick and I don't trust wooden ramps with me on the tractor. I pushed it up with a friend. If you find even a small hill or berm to back up to before loading it helps. Even taking a foot off the angle of the ramps makes it so much easier to push the tractor up.

 

[Logan]

I have hauled a John Deere LX178 (15 HP, water cooled) back and forth from s.GA to NC many times with no problems. I hauled it in a 1998 Dodge 1500 4X4. With the tool box on the truck the rear wheels of the Deere sit just rear of the bed on the lowered tailgate. I strap it in well. I always loaded it with ramps. The ramps were pinned to the tailgate. (It would be a long way to fall if a ramp slipped off)

 

[Molerj]

Try finding a little bit of a hill to back up to so the boards aren't quite so steep. Around here the hills aren't hard to find.

 

[BigEddy]

No concerns carrying the tractor. Highly recommend the berm / ditch trick at each end. And, either remove the tailgate, or span the tailgate with your ramps. I recently transported a concrete buggy in the back of my truck (1000 lbs). No problem loading it (ramps and a berm) but when the single tail wheel pressed on my tailgate, it put a good dent in the middle. Never had a problem with the tractor, as it has 4 wheels, but this had a center wheel, and I only had 2 ramps and a short board so all the weight pressed on my tailgate. should have removed it.
I built my ramps from 8' 2x10s, to which I nailed a 2x4 on edge to each side. The 2x4s provides stiffness, and keep the wheels on the ramps. I used a strap hinge to attach a 12" piece of 2x10 on the one upper end, and that stops the ramps sliding off the truck bed as I go up. Nailed some shingles to them for traction. Use them for everything.
My biggest concern is securing the load. I feel the tie downs in my truck bed are pretty flimsy for 1000lbs and I sure don't want that sliding forward hard!

 

[SageBrush]

I'll second the berm/ditch. I haul atvs, riding lawn mowers etc. all the time. I've put 600 plus pound atvs on my tail gate with no problems. I haul the mower and atv with the tail gate down due to a large fuel/tool box combos and one short bed truck with a normal tool box. The Ford and my two Dodge's tail gates are not bothered one bit by the weight.

 

[Old_Hickory]

You should not have any problem, but here is a way to lessen the load on the tailgate,lay your ramps on the tailgate like you normally wood and put a cement/cinder block/blocks,woodblocks or something about midway or close to midway under your ramps,this will be like a cribbing effect and the blocks will carry a lot of your load when you drive the tractor up on the ramps and take the load off of the tailgate.

 

[Hoosier_Daddy]

I have hauled my 19 HP Simplicity in the truck using ramps. A buddy of mine had a ramp slip on him and ended with the tractor upside down in the driveway. (wooden Ramps).

I have a tri-fold aluminum ramp now. I don't use it much since I bought a trailer with drop down mesh gate.

I did learn one thing about hauling the ATV in the pick-up this summer. Rear slide windows cost 270.00 to replace. I didn't have the winch installed that last time I loaded the ATV.

Tom

 

[keeney]

A handy trick to remember for this kind of stuff if you live on a typical suburban street with a driveway that slopes slightly up from the street is that the gutter will be the perfect low spot to park the truck rear wheels with the back of the truck facing up the driveway.

The end of the tailgate will only be maybe 12-18 inches above the driveway. With the driveway going up it might only be 6 to 12 inches or so uphill from the lower ends of the ramps.

Rolling the mower down the driveway (pushing and steering in neutral from the side or rear, not riding) at a moderate speed will give you some momentum to easily get it up and into the truck bed.

For unloading, the uphill driveway quickly stops the machine from rolling too far as it comes down off the ramps.

I have used this technique numerous times with a pair of 6' long 2x12" ramps to load a Toro 12hp rider into my Dakota 4x4 by myself.

This trick works great for loading motorcycles as well.

- Rick

 

[Chadtoolio]

I got a jd165 and a 86 dodge d50 pickup(mitsubishi import) and have put it in my truck 10 times or so and have not had a problem.

Chad

 

[Storm]

if your truck has cables on the tailgate, use caution, i have seen 3 sets break during loading an unloading, garden tractors, i suggest you look to see if there is a heavy duty set available for you truck

 

[BANDAMAN]

I too have hauled my JD LT180 in the bed of my 01 Dodge Dakota. The JD weighs about 500 lbs. I have hauled my ATV much more often and drive it on. It is 520 lbs and I am an additional 250. I use Aluminum ATV ramps and use ratchet straps tied back to the truck, so the ramps don't slip out fun under the quad/tractor. I had not heard of the tailgate straps breaking, but thanks for the tip. I will be more cautious, although I do ride the ATV on with my helmet on.

Mike

 

[AndyM]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( A handy trick to remember for this kind of stuff if you live on a typical suburban street with a driveway that slopes slightly up from the street is that the gutter will be the perfect low spot to park the truck rear wheels with the back of the truck facing up the driveway. )</font>

There was a bank at our old house where the property slopped down about two feet right before the road. I pulled sideways across the road and backed up to the bank and drove the mower right into the back of my truck. Out here at the new house, I wasn't so lucky, and I was usually by myself when I had to put it into the truck-- used lots of muscle on it!

 

[yooperdave]

I have a F150 4x4 off road which is up off the ground quite far. I bought the longest special curved aluminum ramps and I almost killed myself on numerous occasions trying to drive the mower into the bed of the truck.

My driveways are pitched, but I still needed to approach the ramps at a good clip to get the momentum needed to get into the bed of the truck. Some times, the ramp will skid when the mower touches it, and then I find myself in a vertical position while the tractor is thinking about falling off the ramps.

What I now do is to hook a come-along to the front of the mower and run a chain along the front of the bed and winch it into place.

What I really want is to have a loading dock at my multiple locations.

Yooper Dave

 

[LBrown59]

</font><font color="blueclass=small">( I got a jd165 and a 86 dodge d50 pickup(mitsubishi import) and have put it in my truck 10 times or so and have not had a problem.

Chad )</font>
~~~~~~~~~~

I have a GRAY 1986 Dodge D-50 pick up too.
It has an automatic transmission power steering and is air-conditioned.
Just had the motor rebuilt at 96,000 miles in July of 2003
I have 105,000 miles on it now which isn't very many miles on an 18 year old truck.
I have it to where it's A1 mechanically.
The body and interior is good and solid but could use new paint.
I'm thinking of having it painted Harley Davidson Motorcycle ORANGE.

This truck is my toy at least that's what it say on my front vanity license plate.

 

[johndeere2210]

Your pickup will handle the JD 150 with no problem if it is a full size pickup. Just don't make the mistake some of our customers have made. They back the mower in to make it easier to unload. This is okay as long as you remember to strap the hood down. Meeting one semi on the hiway without a strap on the hood will probably result in some one buying a new hood. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif